Simulation study of the Lower Cretaceous geothermal reservoir for aquifer thermal energy storage

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) has gained attention in several countries as an installation for increasing the energy efficiency of geothermal...     

A Comparison of Skin Temperatures and Clothing Microclimate During Moderate Intermittent Exercise in the Cold Between One and Two Layers of Cotton and Polypropylene Underwear

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 2 kinds of underwear made from hydrophobic and hydrophilic fabrics on the mean skin temperatures and clothing microclimate (temperature, humidity) in participants performing intermittent exercise in cold environmental conditions.

One or 2 layers of cotton underwear (C1, C2) with a 2-piece long-sleeved shirt and long-legged trousers, and 1 or 2 layers of polypropylene underwear (P1, P2) with a 2-piece long-sleeved shirt and long-legged trousers were used as experimental underwear. In addition, the participants wore a 2-piece ski suit as 100% polyester clothing including 100% polyester padding. Ten young adult females volunteered as participants. The experiments were performed in a climatic chamber at an ambient temperature (T_a) of 0°C and an air velocity of 0.26 m s^?1.

The major findings are summarized as follows: (a) Although the clothing microclimate humidity was not different within the ski suit of outer clothing between C1 and P1, it was significantly higher in P2 than in C2; (b) Clothing microclimate temperature inside the ski suit did not differ between C1 and P1, whereas it was significantly higher in P2 than in C2; (c) The thermal gradient between innermost and outermost of clothing microclimate at back level did not show any difference between C1 and P1, but it was significantly higher in C2 than in P2. These results are discussed in terms of thermal physiology and clothing sciences.     

Assessing and selecting interventions for river water quality improvement within the context of population growth and urbanization: a case study of the Cau River basin in Vietnam

In this study, a multi-criteria methodology is proposed to identify and prioritize interventions for water quality improvement with the aid of computer simulation models. The methodology can be used to elaborate and compare future socio-economic development scenarios to select the best interventions based on three criteria: (1) ideas of experts and stakeholders about the importance of scenarios, (2) impacts of each scenario on surface water quality in watershed, and (3) benefit–cost analysis for each scenario. A score is computed for each scenario based on a weighted sum technique which enables to take into consideration different level of importance for the three criteria. The methodology is applied to Cau River basin in Vietnam, with the aid of a computer tool, to assess interventions for river water quality improvement within the context of population growth and urbanization. The results show that fast future population growth in upstream has significant impacts. In 2020, an increase of 116 % of the population in Bac Kan town can lead to an increase of 120 and 135 % in BOD₅ and NH₄ ⁺ median concentrations, respectively, with the implementation of a treatment plant for 10,000 people in Bac Kan town. Therefore, the increase of the domestic wastewater treatment plant’s capacity in Bac Kan town, at least twice as the projection of local government, is necessary. These results will help decision makers to select the best interventions for Cau River basin management.     

CREAM-based communication error analysis method (CEAM) for nuclear power plant operators’ communication

Communication error has been considered a primary cause of many incidents and accidents in the nuclear industry. In order to prevent these accidents, a method for the analysis of such communication errors is proposed here. This paper presents a qualitative and a quantitative method to analyze communication errors. The qualitative method focuses on finding a root cause of the communication error and predicting the type of communication error which could happen in nuclear power plants. We develop context conditions and antecedent-consequent links of influential factors related to communication errors. The quantitative analysis method focuses on estimating the probability of communication errors. To accomplish the quantification of communication errors, the Cognitive Speaking Process (CSP) is defined and a method to estimate the weighting factors and the probability is suggested. Finally, case studies conducted to validate the applicability of the proposed methods are detailed. From the results, we can foresee the effects of given plant conditions on communication errors and reduce the error occurrences.     

Impact of simulated acid rain on the growth of three species Brassica integrifolia,Brassica rapa,Brassica juncea in Hanoi,Vietnam

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Over the past decade, the extent and magnitude of acid rain in Vietnam and other Asian countries have become more apparent. In this study, the effect...     

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in workplace and house dust from Vietnam: concentrations,profiles, emission sources,and exposure risk

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The occurrence of nine phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were determined in indoor dust samples collected from vehicle repair shops, waste processing...     

Survival of Norovirus Surrogate on Various Food-Contact Surfaces

Norovirus (NoV) is an environmental threat to humans, which spreads easily from one infected person to another, causing foodborne and waterborne diseases. Therefore, precautions against NoV infection are important in the preparation of food. The aim of this study was to investigate the survival of murine norovirus (MNV), as a NoV surrogate, on six different food-contact surfaces: ceramic, wood, rubber, glass, stainless steel, and plastic. We inoculated 10⁵ PFU of MNV onto the six different surface coupons that were then kept at room temperature for 28 days. On the food-contact surfaces, the greatest reduction in MNV was 2.28 log₁₀ PFU/coupon, observed on stainless steel, while the lowest MNV reduction was 1.29 log₁₀ PFU/coupon, observed on wood. The rank order of MNV reduction, from highest to lowest, was stainless steel, plastic, rubber, glass, ceramic, and wood. The values of d _R (time required to reduce the virus by 90 %) on survival plots of MNV determined by a modified Weibull model were 277.60 h (R ² = 0.99) on ceramic, 492.59 h (R ² = 0.98) on wood, 173.56 h on rubber (R ² = 0.98), 97.18 h (R ² = 0.94) on glass, 91.76 h (R ² = 0.97) on stainless steel, and 137.74 h (R ² = 0.97) on plastic. The infectivity of MNV on all food-contact surfaces remained after 28 days. These results show that MNV persists in an infective state on various food-contact surfaces for long periods. This study may provide valuable information for the control of NoV on various food-contact surfaces, in order to prevent foodborne disease.     

Sustainability assessment of coastal ecosystems: DPSIR analysis for beaches at the Northeast Coast of Vietnam

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The Northeastern coastal zone of Vietnam possesses high biodiversity and rich ecosystems like coral reefs, seagrasses, beaches and mangroves. It also...